A Fox Warrior
by greeklover94
Summary: "Don't tell Foxleap or anybody about this." she pleaded.
1. Prolouge

Leader:

Bramblestar: dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Deputy:

Lionblaze: golden tabby tom with amber eyes

Apprentice: Rushpaw

Medicine Cat:

Jayfeather: gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes

Apprentice: Briarlight

Warriors:

Crowfeather: dark gray tom

Apprentice: Amberpaw

Sorreltail: tortoiseshell and white she-cat with amber eyes

Spiderleg: long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly with amber eyes

Birchfall: light brown tabby tom

Apprentice: Duskpaw

Whitewing: white she-cat with green eyes

Berrynose: cream colored tom

Apprentice: Dewpaw

Hazeltail: small gray and white she-cat

Mousewhisker: gray and white tom

Poppyfrost: tortoiseshell she-cat

Icecloud: white she-cat

Apprentice: Blackpaw

Foxleap: reddish tabby tom

Toadstep: black and white tom

Rosepetal: dark cream she-cat

Blossomfall: tortoiseshell and white she-cat

Bumblestripe: pale gray tom with black stripes

Apprentice: Snowpaw

Molepelt: brown and cream tom

Lilyflower: dark tabby she-cat with white patches

Seedstep: pale ginger she-cat

Apprentices:

Amberpaw: gray she-cat with white paws, muzzle, and right ear with amber eyes

Dewpaw: gray tom with amber eyes

Snowpaw: white tom with amber eyes

Briarlight: dark brown she-cat with half of spine immobilized

Rushpaw: ginger tom with green eyes (son of Firestar and Sandstorm)

Duskpaw: light ginger she-cat with green eyes (daughter of Firestar and Sandstorm)

Blackpaw: spikey black tom with a red tail tip (son of Firestar and Sandstorm)

Queens:

Cinderheart: gray tabby she-cat (mother of Lionblaze's kits, Hollykit: black she-kit with amber eyes, Honeykit: golden tabby she-kit with blue eyes, Leopardkit: golden she-kit with faint gray flecks and blue eyes, and Sunkit: gray she-kit with golden spots and amber eyes)

Squirrelflight: dark ginger she-cat with green eyes (mother of Bramblestar's kits, Tigerkit: ginger tabby-tom with green eyes and Morningkit: golden she-kit with amber eyes)

Leafpool: light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes (mother of Crowfeather's kits, Ravenkit: black tom with blue eyes, Stormkit: light gray she-kit with blue eyes, and Sorrelkit: light brown she-cat with amber eyes)

Cherryleaf: ginger she-cat (mother of Mousewhisker's kits, Flamekit: dark ginger she-kit with amber eyes and Goldenkit: dark cream colored tom with amber eyes)

Dovewing: pale gray she-cat with blue eyes (mother of Bumblestripe's kits, Scorchkit: gray tabby tom with amber eyes, Rainkit: light gray she-kit with blue eyes, and Ashkit: gray she-cat with green eyes)

Ivypool: silver and white tabby she-cat with blue eyes (expecting Foxleap's kits)

Elders:

Graystripe: long-haired gray tom

Dustpelt: dark brown tabby tom

Sandstorm: pale ginger she-cat with green eyes

Brackenfur: golden brown tabby tom

Thornclaw: golden brown tabby tom

Cloudtail: long-haired white tom with blue eyes

Brightheart: white she-cat with ginger patches and a missing eye


	2. Chapter 1

Ivypool and Foxleap stared at their kits, moonlight dappling their fur.

"They're beautiful," Foxleap mewed, his eyes sparkling. Ivypool gazed at him warmly and twined her tail with his.

"What should we name them?" she asked quietly, turning her gaze to her sleeping kits as the first snowflakes of leaf-bare began to sprinkle down on them.

Foxleap prodded a silver she-kit with his paw and said, "This one looks like a perfect Moonkit."

Ivypool nodded her agreement and looked at the brown tabby tom, "That one looks like a Treekit to me."

A white she-kit with silver flecks mewled in her sleep and rolled onto Treekit. "That kit should be named Cloudkit, after my mother, Ferncloud and your grandfather Cloudtail," Foxleap said.

Ivypool purred and licked her mate's shoulder, "Yes, she looks like a mixture of both of them."

Foxleap looked at the last kit, a red she-kit that had black paws, white chest fur, and a white tail tip. "What about this one?"

"I thought we could name her Foxkit, after you."

Foxleap licked Ivypool between the ears and murmered, "Whatever you want, my dear flower."

Ivypool relaxed against him, curling her tail around her kits and she quickly fell asleep.

Early at dawn, the next morning, Ivypool woke in her nest in the nursery, her kits by her side. She prodded them each with her nose, but when she poked Foxkit, a cold touch met her nose. Ivypool's blood froze. "Oh no!" she murmered.

I should fetch Jayfeather! she thought instantly, but she vetoed it. She didn't want to wake her denmates. Instead she prodded Leafpool, who was in the nest next to her, with a shaky paw.

Leafpool lifted her head and groggily looked at Ivypool, "What is it?"

Ivypool picked up Foxkit and put her beside Leafpool. "She's so cold," Ivypool hissed.

Leafpool felt the kit all over then asked in a whisper, "What happened last night that could have caused this?"

"Foxleap and I were laying outside the den last night around moonhigh naming our kits. I fell asleep right there. Foxleap must have carried me in first and Foxkit last," Ivypool started explaining.

"It's likely she died of the cold, but there's nothing we can do about her now."

Ivypool wanted to wail in distress. "Don't tell Foxleap or anybody about this." she pleaded.

Leafpool sighed and nodded, "I've kept too many secrets in my life, but okay, Foxkit's death will be our secret." Then she tucked her nose under her tail and fell asleep once more.

Ivypool picked Foxkit up again and silently picked her way out of the den and out of the camp. She buried Foxkit under a bramble bush by the lake and sat crying for what seemed like moons. What will I tell Foxleap! she thought in despair. Then, she scented something. It was a fox, she realized. She could tell by the scent it was a fox kit and that it was a she-fox, too.

She followed the scent into the clearing next to the Sky Oak and she saw it, with the same markings as Foxkit, sitting next to the tree's trunk crying for it's mother. That's when she saw the fox kit's mother and littermates, dead near the bushes.

Ivypool felt a rush of relief, Thank StarClan!

She picked up the fox kit gently and carried her to the lake where she washed it in the cold she licked it's fur the other way to warm her.

"Hello,Foxkit," she mewed gently. Ivpool picked Foxkit up and rushed back to camp and into her nest with her other three kits. Leafpool watched as Ivypool settled her new "kit" in with it's "littermates".

"A fox kit?" Leafpool mewed incredulously, eyes wide.

"How did you know?" Ivypool asked, shocked, "I thought I washed all the fox scent off of her!"

"You didn't revive Foxkit," Leafpool pointed out,"But don't worry. Your secret is safe with me."

Ivypool looked out of the den into the dawn sky.

Precious Foxkit, walk safely in the sky. And just please know I'm so sorry.


	3. Chapter 2

Foxkit blinked her eyes open and looked at the inside of the den, empty of all cats except for Ivpool, Moonkit, Cloudkit, Treekit, and herself.

The ceremony must have started! Foxkit realized. She jumped onto Treekit and Moonkit shouting, "Wake up!"

Cloudkit shot onto her paws, startled, her fur bristling with fear and fury.

Treekit groaned and rolled over, "Go to the.." he sat up abruptly, eyes wide. "The ceremony! Let's go!" he yowled.

Moonkit, Treekit, Foxkit, and Cloudkit made their way out of the nursery with a very sleepy-looking Ivypool trailing behind.

"And it is my pleasure to announce a four new apprentices today!" Bramblestar meowed from the Highledge. He beckoned Cinderheart's kits foreward with his tail. Leopardkit bounded toward the Highledge excitedly with her littermates strutting behind her, their heads high. Cinderheart puffed out her chest in pride as the climbed up the Highledge.

"From this day foreward, until she has earned her warrior name, Leopardkit will now be called Leopardpaw. Lilyflower, you are a young warrior and Blossomfall was your mentor. I hope you pass on your bravery and determination to Leopardpaw."

Leopardpaw scampered down from the Highledge and touched noses with Lilyflower quickly, excitement sparkling in her blue eyes.

"From this day foreward, until she has earned her warrior name, Sunkit will be called Sunpaw. Spiderleg, you will mentor her. Mousefur was your mentor many, many moons ago, even before the Great Journey and she taught you many great skill. I hope you pass these skills to Sunpaw."

Sunkit, like her sister, climbed down from the Highledge and stretched her head to touch her nose to Spiderleg's.

"From this day foreward, until she has earned her warrior name, Hollykit will be called Hollypaw. Rosepetal, Squirrelflight was your mentor, and I hope you will pass down your courage and great skills to Hollypaw."

Hollypaw padded over to Rosepetal and touched noses with her new mentor.

"And from this day foreward, until she has earned her warrior name, Honeykit will now be called Honeypaw. Because there are many apprentices and so little leftover warriors to mentor apprentices, I will mentor Honeypaw."

"Leopardpaw! Sunpaw! Hollypaw! Honeypaw! Leopardpaw! Sunpaw! Hollypaw! Honeypaw!" the Clan chanted.

Honeypaw timidly touched her nose to the dark tabby's nose. Lioblaze looked at his kits, pride filling his amber eyes.

Bramblestar went on, "Training will start immediately and Cinderheart will resume her warrior duties, but I have a few more ceremonies to perform. Berrynose, Crowfeather, Bumblestripe. Are Amberpaw, Dewpaw, and Snowpaw ready to become warriors?"

Amberpaw, Snowpaw, and Dewpaw looked at each other excitedly.

Bumblestripe and Crowfeather nodded then Berrynose stepped foreward and mewed, "Yes, Bramblestar. They are all ready to be warriors."

The three apprentices started climbing up the Highledge as Bramblestar yowled, "I, Bramblestar, leader of ThunderClan, look down on these three apprentices. They have trained hard and have learned the ways of the warrior code and I will give them their warrior names. Amberpaw, Dewpaw, and Snowpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect the Clan with your life, if necessary?"

"I do," Amberpaw meowed boldly.

"I do," Dewpaw shuffled his forepaws.

"I do," Snowpaw choked out the words.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, Amberpaw, you will now be called Amberglow. StarClan honors your courage and your skills in battle and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan.

Amberglow's amber eyes glowed with pride and excitement as she gave Bramblestar's shoulder a respectful lick. Brightheart, who was sitting next to Foxkit, purred, "Just like her namesake."

"Dewpaw, you will now be called Dewdrop. StarClan honors your bravery and resourcefulness in hard times and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

Dewdrop licked Bramblestar's shoulder and followed his sister off of the Highledge.

"Snowpaw, you will now be called Snowfall. StarClan honors your hunting skills and your bravery in battle and we welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

"Amberglow! Dewdrop! Snowfall! Amberglow! Dewdrop! Snowfall!" This time, Foxkit joined the chant.

"Lionblaze will organize the patrols," Bramblestar finished. He hopped down from the Highledge and beckoned Honeypaw with his tail.

Foxkit and her littermates edged closer to Lionblaze while Sorreltail joined Brackenfur, watching their kits.

Lionblaze started sorting patrols, "Icecloud, Bumblestripe, Snowfall, and Seedstripe, you patrol the borders. Crowfeather, why don't you lead the sunhigh patrol. Take whoever you wish. I will take the evening patrol with Rosepetal, Hollypaw, and Foxleap. Amberglow, Dewdrop, Poppyfrost, and Mousewhisker you go hunting along the ShadowClan border. Cinderheart, Rushpaw, and I will hunt along the WindClan border."

The cats started looking for the cats in their patrol and made their way out of the camp.

Lionblaze looked at the remaining cats, "Spiderleg, Lilyflower, why don't you go train with Sunpaw and Leopardpaw. Blackpaw, why don't you change the bedding in the nursery and elders' den. I'm sure you could get some of the kits to help you."

Lionblaze padded over to Cinderheart with Rushpaw on his heels. Blackpaw padded over to Foxkit and her littermates.

"Will you guys come change the moss with me?" Blackpaw meowed.

"Sure," Foxkit said before any of her littermates could object.

Blackpaw padded over to Jayfeather's den.

"Don't bother me until my brother has been made leader!" Jayfeather grumbled from the back of his den, prodding the moss toward Blackpaw and the four kits with a claw.

"Ok, Jayfeather." Blackpaw said. To Foxkit, he said under his breath, "Grumpy old cat, my nephew is."

"He's not that old," Cloudkit said quietly, "And you should respect the medicine cat."

Blackpaw purred affectionately, "Yes, maybe I should." Cloudkit's eyes shone.

Foxkit punced on the moss and growled. She was going to be the best warrior the Clans had ever seen!

Treekit rolled his eyes and snorted, "Foxkit, stop playing in the moss like a fox-brain!"

There it was again! That surge of fury bubbling up inside of her like fire!

Disgusted, she growled at herself_, Foxes are enemies to ALL cats! Loners, kittypets, and Clan!_

Almost automatically, she threw a withering glance back at her brother and stalked off.

_**Sorry if it's confusing, but with the prolouge at the beginning the chapters are weird**_


	4. Chapter 3

Foxkit stirred and growled in her sleep as a paw poked her. She sat up and saw Flamekit, one of Cherryleaf's kits, and immediately started grooming herself. Over the past two moons, she had developed a huge crush on the ginger tom and wanted to impress him.

"What is it, Flamekit?" she asked in a whisper.

"I want to go out of camp," the ginger kit whispered back, easing closer to Foxkit.

Foxkit's eyes widened, "Why?"

"Tigerpaw was boasting about how he and Leopardpaw and his mentor Toadstep went hunting outside the abandoned twoleg nest as a treat for his good training today."

"So, you want to go?"

"Yes."

The two kits snuck out of the nursery and out through the dirtplace.

Flamekit and Foxkit stared at the vast forest beyond them and Foxkit shivered with fear and cold.

"I will protect you," Flamekit whispered, pressing his flank against her side.

Foxkit's heart quickened, then she relaxed.

The two kits set out through the vast forest and froze when they heard voices. They hid in the bushes.

Tigerpaw and a she cat from another Clan stalked through the bushes apparently doing some moonhigh hunting. The she-cat's amber eyes were glowing in the moonlight and the two kits saw... love...glowing ferociously in her eyes. Tigerpaw's amber eyes revealed the same.

Foxkit's jaw dropped and Flamekit breathed, "They're in love!"

Tigerpaw turned suddenly, his eyes flashing, "Someone is here!"

Foxkit's blood ran cold. If they were to be discovered, they would get in trouble and they might be delayed their apprentice ceremonies!

Then, Flamekit made quite a racket stomping out of the bushes to reveal himself, allowing Foxkit to run to the abandoned twoleg nest to safety.

There Foxkit waited for what seemed like moons when Flamekit walked in.

"I'm sorry, Flamekit," she sighed, "What kind of trouble are you in?"

"It's quite alright. I am not in trouble. We made a compromise." Flamekit purred, "I am quite the master of manipulation."

He manipulates my heart, too! Foxkit thought, He will probably pad after some other she cat like Honeypaw.

"Well, what happened?" Foxkit asked.

"In exchange for keeping my being out here, I had to keep Tigerpaw's little crush a secret."

Foxkit sighed with relief. Then, she and Flamekit scrambled back to camp and into their nests in the nursery.

Morning came a bit too early for the remaining litters in the nursery. Foxkit stirred sleepily and shook the sleep from her eyes. Treekit, Cloudkit, and Moonkit were already outside with Cherryleaf's other kit, Goldenkit.

Foxkit prodded Flamekit, who turned over and yawned.

They padded outside to where the whole Clan had gathered around a horde of cats from far away. They were the age of senior warriors if not older.

Lionblaze padded out in front of the crowd and meowed, "Who are you? And why are you here?"

A black tom with a white tail tip padded out front and meowed, "I am Ravenpaw, one of Firepaw's closest friends."

A black and white tom came to stand with the first cat. "And I am Barley, a friend of both Bluestar and Firestar."

A ginger she-cat came out front, "I am Princess, Firestar's sister and Cloudtail's mother."

Another black and white tom padded to the front, "And I am Smudge, one of Firestar's old friends."

The cats of ThunderClan's eyes were wide with shock, then Bramblestar came out front and meowed, "Come with me."

Bramblestar beckoned for the kin of Firestar that was in ThunderClan and the loners to come into his den and they all soon got settled.

Princess looked around the den. "Is Firestar out?" she asked.

"No," Bramblestar murmured, "Firestar is..." he choked on the last word, "dead." He and the Clan cats in the den bowed their heads in respectful silence.

Princess let out a cry of mourning, Barley gasped, Smudge bowed his head, and Ravenpaw let out a mournful, "No!"

"He hunts with StarClan now, but these are his kin."

"Cloudtail, his nephew." Cloudtail stepped forward, seeming like he was young again, with his mate, Brightheart. Princess rushed up and touched noses with her son.

"I've missed you so much," she murmured.

"Cloudtail's and Brightheart's kits, Firestar's grand nieces and nephews, Whitewing, Ambergaze, Dewdrop, and Snowfall."

The four warriors stepped forward and dipped their heads to the newcomers, Birchfall beside Whitewing. Princess's eyes brimmed with pride as she stared at her grandkits.

Firestar's great-grand neices, Whitewing's and Birchfall's kits, Dovewing and Ivypool."

Foxkit watched as her mother and aunt stepped up and dipped their heads alongside Bumblestripe and Foxleap.

"Firestar's great, great-grand nieces and nephew, Dovewing's and Bumblestripe's kits, Scorchkit, Ashkit, and Rainkit, who are becoming apprentices today."

Scorchkit, Ashkit, and Rainkit padded forward and dipped their heads.

"Firestar's great, great-grand nieces and nephew, Ivypool's and Foxleap's kits, Treekit, Moonkit, Cloudkit, and Foxkit."

Foxkit and her littermates stepped forward and dipped their heads.

Princess let out a purr, "All of these are my kin!"

"Firestar's and Sandstorm's daughters and sons, Squirrelflight, Leafpool, Duskpaw, Rushpaw, and Blackpaw."

Squirrelflight, Leafpool, Duskpaw, Rushpaw, and Blackpaw stepped up and dipped their heads. Crowfeather dipped his head beside Leafpool and Bramblestar also dipped his head.

The loners murmured at how much Rushpaw looked like Firestar.

"Firestar's grandkits, the kits of Leafpool and Crowfeather, Lionblaze, Jayfeather, Hollyleaf, Ravenpaw, Stormpaw, and Sorrelpaw. Hollyleaf is no longer with us. She died the death of a warrior during the great battle."

The cats bowed their heads in silence for Hollyleaf as Jayfeather, Lionblaze, Ravenpaw, Stormpaw, and Sorrelpaw stepped up and dipped their heads. Cinderheart stepped up and did the same beside Lionblaze

"Firestar's grandkits, the kits of me and Squirrelflight, Tigerpaw and Morningpaw."

Tigerpaw and Morningpaw padded forward and dipped their heads.

"Firestar's great grandkits, Lionblaze's and Cinderheart's kits, Honeypaw, Leopardpaw, and Sunpaw."

Honeypaw, Leopardpaw, and Sunpaw stepped forward and dipped their heads.

Ravenpaw, the loner, nodded and meowed, "We would like to join your Clan. Princess, Barley, and Smudge all want to be elders, but I want to have the warriorhood I never had."

Bramblestar nodded and he leaped onto the Highledge and called a meeting.

"Cats of ThunderClan, these four loners joined the Clan to serve as elders and warriors and I will now present them with proper Clan names. Princess, from this day forward you will now be an elder known as Flowerpelt. Smudge from this day forward, you will now be known as an elder called Sootstreak. Barley from this day foreward, you will be an elder named Barleystalk. And Ravenpaw, you will now be known as Ravenfeather. StarClan honors your courage and determination for leaving your homes and traveling all the way here and we welcome you as full members of ThunderClan."

"Flowerpelt! Sootstreak! Barleystalk! Ravenfeather!" the Clan chanted.

Bramblestar continued, "And I have to make three new warriors and three new apprentices today. Rushpaw, Duskpaw, Blackpaw, come forward."

"From this day forward, Rushpaw will now be known as Rushspirit. StarClan honors his courage and bravery and we welcome him as a full member of ThunderClan."

"From this day forward, Duskpaw will now be known as Duskfall. StarClan honors her skill and bravery and we welcome her as a full warrior of ThunderClan."

"From this day forward, Blackpaw will now be known as Blackthorn. StarClan honors his skill and patience and we welcome his as a full member of ThunderClan."

"And, from this day forward until they have earned their warrior names, Scorchkit, Ashkit, and Rainkit will now be known as Scorchpaw, Rainpaw, and Ashpaw. Their mentors will be Ravenfeather, Crowfeather, and Lionblaze."

"Rushspirit! Duskfall! Blackthorn! Scorchpaw! Ashpaw! Rainpaw!" the Clan chanted.

I can't wait until I become an apprentice! Foxkit thought with excitement. Her eyes gleamed as she thought, Only a moon or so away!


	5. Chapter 4

Foxpaw growled with frustration as the mouse skittered away from her paws. It was a half-moon into her apprenticeship and she was becoming more and more of an outcast everyday. Most of the cats were kind, but some of the apprentices teased her because she looked funny and because someone was spreading rumors that she was meeting a fox and giving it prey.

The anger bubbled up inside her once more. _Why can't foxes have prey? And why accuse me?_

"Bad day?" a soft voice meowed. Foxpaw turned and Flamepaw padded out with a thrush in his jaws.

Foxpaw looked at her paws, growing warm with embarassment, "Yeah."

"Don't worry. Look." Flamepaw meowed pointing with his tail to a starling crashing thunderously in a tree with a broken wing.

The bird fell from the tree and Foxpaw, seeing an easy catch, pounced and killed it swiftly.

Flamepaw and Foxpaw padded back to camp and set their catches on the fresh-kill pile. Jayfeather padded up took one sniff at the starling and yowled, "It is as StarClan have warned me! There is a weakness in the Clan that will draw the foxes to kill us off!"

The Clan gasped in horror and Blossomfall peered from the nursery with her mate, Toadstep, Briarlight yowled, "I have recieved this warning, too!"

Flamepaw stepped up and meowed, "And what is wrong with Foxpaw's prey?"

"It was making thunderous noise with its wing to attract Foxpaw, right? It is the prophecy."

Bramblestar nodded at Jayfeather and meowed, "Thank you, Jayfeather. We will continue on, but we will get ready."

"Lionblaze, get a few cats to fortify the walls and plan other defenses. Get others to think of escape routes and tactics."

"Yes, Bramblestar," Lionblaze nodded. He started shouting orders and Foxpaw and Flamepaw were ordered to fortify the entrance.

Flamepaw and Foxpaw made their way to the wall and started to strengthen it.

Foxpaw went out into the forest to gather bramble tendrils and she was suddenly aware of a fox scent. She started following it.

_That fox is going to be sorry it messed with me_! Foxpaw thought. Then she thought_, Poor fox, shouldn't it have a place to go, too?_

It was that fiery anger again. She pushed it aside, boggled on why the fox scent was strong wherever she went.

She followed it into the lake where it faded when she was mostly submerged with water. Then when she came out, she couldn't smell it anymore.

Puzzled she went back into the forest.


End file.
